The 'Little Potala Palace' - Ganden Sumtseling Monastery

Ganden Sumtseling Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province and one of the famous large monasteries in the Kang region. It is also the center of the Gelug (Yellow) sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the Sichuan-Yunnan area and holds a pivotal position throughout the Tibetan area, earning the nickname 'Little Potala Palace'. The monastery is built against a mountain, resembling an ancient castle, and is a culmination of Tibetan architectural art, also known as the 'Tibetan Art Museum'. The monastery is also called Guihua Monastery, located 5 kilometers from the town of Zhongdian. It is a group of ancient castle-like buildings with the scale of an old town. Construction began in the year 1679 (the 11th cycle in the Tibetan calendar, year of the Earth Sheep) and was completed in 1681 (year of the Iron Rooster). The Fifth Dalai Lama personally bestowed the name 'Ganden Sumtseling'. Shangri-La, a place lacking oxygen but not faith, where Sumtseling Monastery is hailed as the 'Little Potala Palace'. 'If you can't go to Lhasa, then come to the Little Potala Palace in Shangri-La'. Ganden Sumtseling Monastery is located in Niwang Road, Jiantang Town, Shangri-La City, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is conveniently accessible within the city area and there is a parking lot for self-driving visitors.